On June 26, at the Park Star Hotel in Kabul, EQUALITY for Peace and Development (EPD) – in cooperation with the other members of the Salah Consortium which are Sanayee Development Organization (SDO), Peace Training and Research Organization (PTRO), Cooperation for Peace and Unity (CPAU) and The Liaison Office (TLO) – organized a fruitful debate called “Lessons Learned from the Elections”. The aim was to reflect on the recent election process with community leaders and social activists from across the country – 69 participants from 30 provinces attended the debate, in order to consolidate the gains made and address the existing challenges in light of the upcoming Parliamentary elections in 2015.

After introductory speeches from several civil society leaders, the participants were divided into three groups to discuss the elections. In order to ensure a thorough and structured evaluation, the group discussions focused on three key questions. How do you assess the performances of the government (i.e. Independent Election Commission, Security Forces, Parliament and President etc.) and civil society (CSOs, monitoring volunteers etc.)? What was your overall impression on election-day? And what lessons can be learned from the elections?

The participants addressed many issues but a few key topics emerged from the discussions. While discussing the first question, many of the participants lauded the government’s ability to organize the elections as scheduled, prevent any large scale Taliban attack and spread practical information about the elections. Civil society was also actively involved in the election process by monitoring the elections, mobilizing women and youth, and turning out in large numbers on election-day. On the negative side, the participants noticed that some government officials were publically supporting a specific candidate using government resources, and some Presidential candidates have been accused of committing fraud.

With regards to the second question, the participants mentioned that overall their impression of election-day was positive. Due to the high turnout – particularly of women, international media commended the civil society and government of Afghanistan for their capacity to facilitate and safeguard the democratic process. However, high levels of fraud and manipulation have also been observed, women were often prevented from voting due to security threats, and some people based their vote on the candidate’s ethnic affiliation rather than the candidate’s merits.

Based on these discussions, the participants came up with an elaborate list of ‘lessons learned’ for future elections of which the following is a condensed version: Votes should be cast electronically during the next elections to mitigate fraud and manipulation; the election committees should be elected through a merit-based and transparent process, be hold accountable for misconduct and act transparently according to Afghan law – which might necessitate amending certain laws; the number of polling stations should be increased to stimulate people’s participation (particularly in rural areas); candidates should abide by a code of ethics that prevents them to employ identity politics; and lastly, emergency mechanisms – such as standardized procedures for auditing – should be in place to respond swiftly and effectively whenever a political crisis emerges.

While this is a short report of the debate, the Salah Consortium will soon produce and launch a policy paper entitled “Election Lessons”.